For all the talk of U.S. Thanksgiving, being .500 or lower this late into the season isn't necessarily a death knell for playoff hopes.

Historically, 75% of teams in a playoff position at Thanksgiving make the postseason. Who's above,below the cut line? Which teams could rise, fall?

The overall NHL standings are as congested as ever. As things stand, fifth-place New Jersey is just eight points ahead of 28th-place St. Louis, so it’s safe to expect plenty of movement in the standings over the next several weeks.

We’re one-third of the way through the NHL season and December marks an opportune checkpoint for futures bets.

Christmas may be only a few weeks away, but the Minnesota Wild’s path to the playoffs is becoming clearer. Entering Wednesday night, the Wild were six points ahead of the Utah Mammoth and San Jose Sharks for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

All 32 NHL clubs have reached or passed the 20-game milestone, putting them past the quarter mark of the 2025-26 season. The standings remain tightly packed in both conferences, with most teams still in the thick of the playoff chase through the early going.

A total of four NHL games are set to be played on Wednesday, with several teams looking to gain key points in the standings. Let’s take a look at which teams will be in action tonight. Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois Time: 7:30 PM ET TV Channel: TNT

The 28-consecutive-season playoff run came to an end during the 1997-98 campaign when the Blackhawks fell five points shy of San Jose for the eighth seed in the Western Conference, which would have tied the NHL record of 29 straight postseason appearances.